Cannes Journal - Friday

Jun 22, 2018

On the final day of Cannes, we explored how influential confidence is in our day to day life and our own Leslie Sims took to the stage to discuss the impact of #MeToo and the effect it is having in Y&R’s work with Miss America.

Session: The Strange Power of ConfidenceOne of the greatest challenges faced during the human experience is confidence. Exploring its transformative nature and ability to lead and change people, business, and the world; the CMO of SunTrust Bank, Susan Somersille Johnson, Founder and CEO of StrawberryFrog Scott Goodson, and Actor, David Oyelowo gathered for a conversation on the strange power of this ten letter word. Offering industry tidbits backed by scientific research, this session delved into all the right and very plausible ways to achieve confidence in all aspects of our lives. From financial to personal and everything in between, this session empowers everyone to take on anything life throws their way.

Key takeaways:

There are three components to financial confidence: know what matters most, get educated and, forget shame and pride and lean on a friend.

Taking control of the power you have is fundamental to real confidence.

Confidence is not innate for us as human beings, it’s something that is learned and takes preparation.

Your preparation will dictate the level of your success.

Self-awareness, being selfless, and being self-taught are three things necessary for confidence.

Notable quotes:

"One of our greatest challenges will be confidence. Confidence to take our first step, confidence to ride a bike, confidence to have that difficult discussion with your board of directors." -Susan Somersille Johnson, CMO, SunTrust Bank

"Movements are about experience, it’s about having a mindset. Movements are about action, about starting something new, having the courage and confidence to start something new." -Scott Goodson, Founder, CEO of StrawberryFrog

"A movement inside an organization can inspire trust, can inspire creativity, can inspire passion, and it can inspire confidence." -Scott Goodson, Founder, CEO of StrawberryFrog

"When you have a movement you can... challenge the world and change the world in a fast challenging environment... confidence spreads, the movement grows more people join and so on - that's the strange power of confidence." -Scott Goodson, Founder, CEO of StrawberryFrog

Session: Redefining Miss America in the Age of #MeTooY&R's Leslie Sims and Gretchen Carlson discussed how Y&R is working with Miss America to reshape the brand and the role brands play in the midst of the global #MeToo movement. Read our highlights from the session here.